[ChrisPebble]

This. There is a massive range in daycare from "your child will be alive when you come back" to "all our staff have degrees in childhood education" (and of course the associated price range).

The same is true of stay-at-home parents. Some get exhausted after a few hours and others thrive in constantly nurturing and teaching their children.

Comparing the two isn't terribly useful unless you break it down further.